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Honoring our builders
Sherri and Gene Goodman
"The Rabbi Noah Weinberg
Award for Jewish Continuity"
Susie and Norm Pappas
T he Pappas Library
Ilene and Greg Bischer
Lucinda and Sandy Rosen
I Ile hose!' uh5rooni
Rachel and David Weingarden
ine Weingarden Classroom
Monday, May gth 7:3Oprr
The Berman Theatre
At the West Bloomfield JO'
Featuring the comedy of 2 funny Jews
Aaron hreemat
Avi Liberman
Cost: General Seating $50
Reserved Seating $75
Event sponsor $360
Includes 2 tickets
Event Patron $1000
Includes 4 tickets
in the Woo,
he
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40 April 14 • 2011
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Settler Foe from page 38
Israel Commitment
He said his commitment to Israel
extends well beyond political or reli-
gious issues and is not dependent on
which party is in power or whether
he agrees with the rulings of the
Chief Rabbinate.
Jacobs described the many fac-
ets of his connection to the Jewish
state, from his congregational visits
to study with the Orthodox chief
rabbi of Efrat, in the West Bank; to
his active engagement with the New
Israel Fund, chairing its pluralism
grants committee; to his personal
decision after the second intifada to
buy a family home in Israel and visit
two or three times a year.
I am an ohev Yisrael [a lover of
Israel[:' he said, "and my love for
Israel is among the deepest loves of
my life."
The subtext of his comments was
that Jacobs has been criticized by
some on the political right regard-
ing Israel for his associations with
dovish groups like J Street, a politi-
cal lobby, and the New Israel Fund,
which supports a wide range of
Jewish and Arab groups in Israel.
The Zionist Organization of
America has expressed "concern"
at Jacobs' connection to those two
organizations, "and thus at the
prospect of the Reform movement
becoming a captive" of their "beliefs
and actions."
But Jacobs resisted being easily
pegged. He said his relationships
with Israel are "beyond organiza-
tional," noting that while he was
very proud to sign a J Street High
Holy Day message [last year] that
had a clear, strong commitment to
peace and a two-state solution:' he
thought the group was "wrong" in
calling for the U.S. to endorse a U.N.
resolution describing Israeli settle-
ments as illegal.
J Street, the Washington-based
lobby that describes itself as "pro-
Israel, pro-peace lists Jacobs as a
member of its rabbinic cabinet, but
he denied joining the group.
"I support the goals and visions
of J Street, but I'm not defined by it,"
Jacobs said, adding that the biogra-
phy he provided did not include J
Street because he only listed boards
with which he is active, including
UJA-Federation of New York and the
American Jewish World Service.
Asked his reaction to the state-
ment from ZOA and from a
Commentary blogger who found
his involvement with dovish groups
CC
a "troubling sign:' Jacobs said he
wasn't surprised, but I wish people
would hear from me first. I have a
narrative and a life deeply commit-
ted and engaged with Israel."
He said he wholeheartedly sup-
ports the work of the New Israel
Fund (NIF), a group dedicated to
civil rights and religious pluralism
in Israel. Noting that he was proud
to sit on its international board for a
decade, since 2001 he has chaired its
pluralism grants committee, which
he described as "helping to shape
a more tolerant Israel:' The grants,
he said, include a prayer service
attracting secular Israelis in Tel Aviv
as well as Modern Orthodox groups
fostering tolerance.
NIF also supports "litigation and
advocacy efforts by and for Arab
citizens of Israel:' according to its
website.
Jacobs said NIF strengthens Israel
as a democracy, is a supporter of
human rights and has "made an
important contribution to Israel:'
Criticism OK
On the issue of the BDS (Boycott,
Divestment, Sanctions) movement,
he said he strongly opposed global
BDS, which seeks to eliminate the
Zionist state, but drew a distinction
between such efforts and those who
boycott products made in Jewish
communities in the West Bank.
He said the Reform movement
has not taken a position yet on the
boycott of West Bank settlements
but that "we do take positions on the
hardest issues?'
Pressed to define what it means to
be part of the pro-Israel movement
today, the rabbi said that "criticism
of Israel" is acceptable "as long as it
is not delegitimization or demoniza-
tion."
"It's not scientific," he said of the
description, "but I like the tone and
substance:' He also said he agrees
with what Daniel Pipes, an academic
known for his hard-line Mideast
views, said about J Street recently,
namely that anyone concerned about
the security and welfare of Israel is
in the pro-Israel camp.
Jacobs pointed out that as the
first congregational rabbi to lead the
Reform movement, he feels he is well
positioned to "bring concrete ways
for congregations to show their love
for Israel:' He hopes to be "an advo-
cate and guide" on how to attract
young people to Israel's cause, pri-
marily through visits that show the
Settler Foe on page 42